Sharif to return to Pakistan

By Zeeshan Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is set to return to Pakistan within days after a deal to end his exile in Saudi Arabia, aides said on Friday.

It was not immediately clear whether Sharif, whom President Pervez Musharraf deposed in a bloodless 1999 coup, would get back before November 26, deadline for filing election nominations, and so be able to run for parliament in polls set for January 8.

He was due to meet King Abdullah in Riyadh for a "farewell meeting" before flying to London, Sharif's political base for the latter part of his exile, a Saudi government source said.

Musharraf, under intense criticism at home and abroad for imposing emergency rule three weeks ago, agreed to Sharif's return during discussions with King Abdullah, according to a leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML).

The Commonwealth has suspended Pakistan's membership of the grouping of mostly former British colonies, underlining the pressure Musharraf has been under since invoking emergency powers to shore up his presidency.

Western governments fear that stifling democracy could benefit Islamist militants threatening nuclear-armed Pakistan.

Politically isolated, Musharraf paid a surprise visit to Riyadh on Tuesday, sparking speculation that he was reaching out to his old foe Sharif, who was deported after he tried to return from exile in September.

"God willing, he will return in a few days," said Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, chairman of the Nawaz League as Sharif's faction of the PML is known.